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Charging Forward Update
Ever since Greg Camarillo’s departure from the San Diego Chargers and arrival in Miami, as a Dolphin, his football career and philanthropic non-profit work off the field have both flourished.
While in Miami, Greg continues to sponsor and fund, with his personal money, the Charging Forward program. Charging Forward, which is executive directed by Greg’s older brother, Jeff Camarillo, provides incentive based rewards to young student athletes in the city of Compton, CA, who perform exemplary in the classroom and in their respective athletic arenas. Jeff Camarillo, a middle school history teacher and coach of 8 years in Compton Unified School District, works closely with Greg during the season in Miami and during the off-season in California, to plan and coordinate Charging Forward events.
Since Greg’s arrival in Miami, Charging Forward has sponsored a number of events that have directly benefitted hundreds of students and student-athletes in Compton. Included in these events was an overnight trip to San Diego for 12 football student-athletes from Vanguard Learning Center in Compton to attend the Chargers vs. Lions football game (their transportation, tickets to the game and hotel/food was all paid by Charging Forward); a visit to Vanguard Learning Center from Greg Camarillo during the off-season where he signed over 150 colored glossy photos for students who showed him an A paper or test; and a Charging Forward Reunion trip, which took a group of 8th, 9th and 10th graders from Vanguard Learning Center, Locke High School (LA), Centennial High School and Dominguez High School on an overnight trip to San Diego to participate in an AFE sponsored activity based life skills & team building camp hosted by current and former San Diego Chargers.
Charging Forward has also developed a system to track the athletes that participate in the program during their 8th grade year and follow their academic and athletic success throughout their high school careers. The CF scholar athletes that continue to display academic and athletic dedication at the high school level are invited back to participate in Charging Forward events and activities to serve as mentors for the younger middle school age CF scholar athletes. Despite his relocation to Florida, Greg has remained active, dedicated, and passionate about enhancing the educational and athletic opportunities for youth in disadvantaged communities throughout Southern California.
Greg has not only continued his non-profit work in Southern California, but has also participated in countless charity and community based events in the Miami/Dade County area. He has visited several schools, with teammates from the Dolphins, in order to stress the importance of education and provide encouragement to at-risk children & youth living in low-income areas. He was recently chosen by Publix, the largest supermarket chain in the Miami area, to host their annual holiday shopping spree giveaway, in which needy families shop with Dolphin players to receive groceries for their families.
In addition, Greg has visited hospitals, libraries, and other community events to promote literacy, healthy living, and education.
Greg is excited to continue to work with his brother, Jeff, to sponsor Charging Forward events during the academic year and looks even more forward to returning to California during the off-season to host his 1st annual Charging Forward Activity Based Life Skills and Team Building Camp for 6 - 8th grade boys & girls & Football Sports Camp for High School student-athletes, this spring in Compton, California.
Mission Statement:
To connect professional athletes with middle school student-athletes to encourage consistent effort in the classroom, provide motivation for success, and emphasize the importance of education for the student-athlete
Greg Camarillo's “Charging Forward for Academic and Athletic Success” works with teachers, coaches, and students in the Compton Unified School District to identify and reward student athletes who have put forth a consistent effort in the classroom and in their respective athletic arena. Student-athletes will be rewarded for their hard work on and off the field by attending Charger games and receiving school visits from San Diego Chargers, which will enhance their motivation for success.
Charging Forward hopes to charter vans/busses to bring Compton Unified middle school student athletes to San Diego to attend Charger home games during the 2006 season and meet their favorite San Diego Chargers. Charging Forward emphasizes the importance of education for the student athlete. Through mentorship and incentive based rewards, youth are recognized for succeeding in the classroom, as well as excelling in athletic competition.
The city of Compton is a community that has long suffered from poverty, gangs, violence, drugs and under-funded schools. Many Compton youth turn to sports as an alternative to life on the streets. Charging Forward strives to reinforce the importance of both academic and athletics as a means of overcoming the harsh realities of the inner city. Due to Los Angeles' void of an NFL franchise, the vast majority of youth in Compton have never attended an NFL game. Traveling from Compton to San Diego to attend a Charger home game would be an experience these young student athletes would never forget.
Charging Forward seeks to work directly with Vanguard Learning Center, a middle school in Compton Unified School District, to reward student athletes who have dedicated themselves to academic and athletic success. Meeting successful professional athletes will further motivate these young student-athletes to overcome the hurdles in their community through education and athletics.
Click on the photo to enlarge
| Miami Dolphins Junior Fishing Clinic |
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My original goals of the Charging Forward Program were to motivate students, in the Compton Unified School District, to strive for success athletically and academically. After the first six months, my goals have changed. I have seen the tremendous influence that this program has had on the youth and the ability it has to impact their lives. I will definitely continue to work with the students in Compton but I desire to collaborate with schools across Southern California, particularly in San Diego.
I have been fortunate enough to have the assistance of my older brother, Jeffrey Camarillo, in developing the program. He's received his Master's Degree in Education from Stanford University and has been teaching inner-city youth for over 5 years. This background allows for a great understanding of teaching methods and, most importantly, an excellent relationship with the students. From day one, his aide in developing the program has been priceless.
The first Charging Forward event was an atypical event. It was not a reward for great academic performance. Rather, it was aimed at familiarizing student-athletes with Charging Forward by equipping the Vanguard Vikings (a Compton Unified Middle School) flag football team with new cleats and gloves. Most of these children have never owned proper athletic apparel or equipment and were absolutely elated. These items were delivered with a message; this is only the beginning of rewards for student-athletes who strive to succeed. My goal was to provide incentive and motivation for kids to work hard. I promised to bring a group of the hardest working students to San Diego for a Charger home game.
Although the events are held months apart, the incentives have been working every day. For the first time in many of students' lives they have been encouraged to work hard and have been recognized for achieving goals. According to their teachers, students have been bragging about completing all their assignments on time and how long they've been preparing for tests. One student proclaims, while turning in a test, “Mr. C, I know I did good on this one! I'm going to show you that I want to go to that game.”
On the most recent trip to San Diego a student told me of rough situation he was confronted with, “Greg, these dudes kept trying to pick a fight with me. I swear it was like five times the other day. I wanted to get ‘em back but I kept telling myself San Diego, San Diego, San Diego.” I never thought my program would extend beyond classroom or the playing field but it has been able to motivate students to better themselves, not just their grades. This impact is priceless and, with continued community support for Charging Forward, will continue to help youth help themselves.
The following statistics highlight the academic accomplishments of the 15 student athletes who participated in Greg Camarillo's Charging Forward program during fall, winter or spring of 2006-07 at Vanguard Learning Center in Compton Unified School District:
- 100% of Charging Forward youth finished the year above a 2.0 GPA
- 45% of Charging Forward youth finished the year above a 3.0 GPA
- 30% of Charging Forward youth finished the year above a 2.5 GPA
- 79% of Charging Forward youth showed considerable academic improvement from the previous year through their involvement in the program
- The only two students that were below a 2.0 GPA prior to their involvement with Charging Forward both finished the year well over a 2.0 GPA
- No Charging Forward student-athletes were suspended from school for fighting or discipline reasons
- Charging Forward helped produce the highest academically ranked African-American boy in the entire school, Leequan Thornton, who was actively involved with Charging Forward during all three athletic seasons. He finished with a 3.7 GPA and was ranked 10th of 208 8th graders in his class.
- The average GPA of a Charging Forward student athlete was 2.8
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| BB Game & Festivities |
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| Greg's Holiday Party |
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| Greg's Program |
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